UM Alum Discusses His Journey and Experiences with MC Students

By: Mandy Steadman

The UM Mass Communications Department hosted a visit from the Alabama Press Association (APA) on Thursday April 17, 2014. The group consists of editors and publishers from magazines and newspapers all across the state. Three of the members are UM alums. One of the alums is Justin Averette, the President of the APA. 

Justin Averette talking to MC class

"I majored Mass Communications Journalism and English. I did double major. I edited the Alabamian for 3 years while I was here, I think that’s a record. And I would advise nobody to ever do that again," said Averette.

During Averette's visit, he spoke to Professor Susan Thompson's Freelance Writing Fundamentals class about what to look for when writing for online media. He also gave a few examples of some writers to take inspiration from. One of these writers he mentioned was Rick Briggs from the New York Times.


Averette graduated 9 years ago. He said he was excited to get back to his roots and to share his experiences with the MC 456 class. He said he was also excited to see the growth and changes that the university has gone through since his time at UM. 

For more information on the APA please visit their website.